Kathy

When I'm not teaching science to high school students, or hanging out with my spouse and two kids, I'm probably writing. Or, thinking about writing. Or, reading things that other excellent folks have written. I believe in taking risks and trying new things. I and place tremendous value in the positive impacts of creativity.

#IWSG – Adding Personal Details to Stories?

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It’s the first Wednesday of the month, and you know what that means.  Or, well, maybe you don’t.  It’s #IWSG Day! The question this month is… Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose? I sure have, but first, allow me to drop a plug …

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You Know You’re a Writer When…

Ink stain on a writer's finger
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Whenever someone asks me what I do for a living, I always balk at the idea of saying, “I’m a writer.” The reason is that I don’t make a living by my writing. I aspire to, of course, but if we’re basing things on paychecks, and most people do, then I’m a teacher. However, were …

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Beating the Cold Season with Some Good Books!

Three Advanced Reader's Copy Books
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Every September, I get back into the classroom and, within a month, I catch a cold. I blame my students. They get it first, and then they proceed to coat every surface they touch with their contagion.  Last year, the virus took up residence deep in my chest and overstayed its welcome by about six …

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I Teach, I Write, I Parent, I Busy!

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Yeah, Yeah, I know.  We’re all busy.  We all wear a lot of different hats in life. I teach, I write, and I parent.  It doesn’t always happen in that particular order.  Priorities shift daily.  Time bleeds out of my as if I’ve severed some existential artery.  Last night, I fell into bed at 9:00pm like …

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Why Did I Try Writing a Book in the First Person POV?!

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This past Wednesday, I took part in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s monthly blog hop. The prompt dealt with trying new things and surprising yourself with your writing. My response to that prompt lives here. I am not a professional blogger, nor do I aspire to become one. I’ve only been tracking my adventures and …

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#IWSG: Creative Insecurities, Community, and Surprises!

Door to My Imagination
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Creative Insecurity: Creative people of all types tend to be insecure folks, I think. Creative folks are bold, daring, maybe a little crazy. They push the boundaries, lean into the unknown, risk failure. But because of that, they occasionally run afoul of moments of doubt and insecurity. Unfortunately, those are the moments that, from a …

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Chuang-Tzu, Things with Wings, and the Writer’s Life

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At some point between 369 BCE and 286 BCE, western philosopher Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) wrote what is commonly known as The Butterfly Dream Parable. Here’s an excerpt: “Once upon a time, I, Zhuangzi, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness …

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Life: It Happens to the Best of Us

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It’s been my experience that a creative person’s goals–fragile, beautiful little things that they are–frequently crash headlong into the mercurial realities of life. This morning, as I sit at my kitchen table to do my morning pages, I can’t help but catch sight of the wall calendar opposite me and notice that August 28th is …

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Finding Time to Write (or, My Endless Struggle)

The Writing Nook
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I want to yell at people when they lament that they can never “find the time” to write. Yeah? Well, neither can I. Why? Because it doesn’t exist. There is literally no time to write, no magical empty block with nothing going on where I can sit down with a steaming mug of cozy chamomile tea and put on some relaxing classical music and snuggle in my fluffy PJ’s and write. Nope. If I’m going to write, I must MAKE time to do it.

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Scrivener: It Helps Me Produce

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There are tons of writing platforms out there, and I’ve found that writers have some seriously strong feelings about them.  I’m no exception. For me, it’s all about Scrivener. For a long time, I wrote my stuff in Google Docs, and I couldn’t understand why anyone would pay extra money for some fancy-schmancy writing program. …

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